Beginning Of The End
by iCarlyfan312
Summary: When the iCarly gang is in a car accident, Sam winds up in the hospital. When she wakes up, she discovers that she is in between life and death. Will she hold on to save true love? (Sam's POV)
1. Complicated Feelings

**A/N: I had a dream about this and now...well, here it is.**

**Disclaimer: iCarly belongs to the genius known as Dan Schneider.**

**Summary: When the iCarly gang is in a car accident, Sam winds up in the hospital. When she wakes up, she discovers that she is in between life and death. Will she hold on to save true love? (Sam's POV) **

****Dedication: To the strongest of loves, the ones who stretch from the beginning to the end. **

****Theme song: Beginning of the End by Steve Moakler **

**Chapter 1: Complicated Feelings**

You don't always expect the worse thing in life will happen to you, but when it does you realize what you have to do to get to the beginning of the end and who you rely on to get you there.

_Freddie was driving that night. He had just received his license, so we decided that we'd go to a new Japanese place to celebrate. The nub had a grin on his face the entire night. It wasn't shocking; his mom hadn't let him get one until he was eighteen and he'd worked hard for it. I have to confess; I was glad to see him happy. So, I decided I wouldn't insult him or be rude that night, and I hadn't although, if force of habit, I kind of wanted to._

_I was in the passenger seat. Carly was in the back with Gibby and they were fighting about what kind of sushi they had eaten. Yeah, I don't have an explanation for that... _

_Freddie eyes were fixed on the road, almost as to prove himself worthy of a license. My eyes stared out the window, watching the dim colors of the trees that hid behind the darkness of the sky. _

_"Thanks," Freddie said, breaking the band of silence between us. He'd never thanked me for anything. When I gave a look of puzzlement, he explained, "for paying."_

_I had paid because it was a big deal and well, I can't say I didn't enjoy myself. It felt good to hear that from him. _

_"You're welcome," He smiled for the umpteenth time that evening. _

_That's the last feeling I would feel before it happened; complete and utter joy. Somehow, seeing him happy because of something I did, made me feel like he still cared. _

_The last thing I remember was seeing a big truck. It was coming directly at us. Then, before I could fathom what was happening, Freddie, knowing he couldn't stop in time, jumped over me. He mumbled something, but I couldn't understand it. The truck hit us, and that was when it went dark._

* * *

I awoke and stood up, glancing around to see where I was. It was a hospital room. Memories of the accident flooded through my head. Carly, Freddie and Gibby were the first thing that came to my mind.

A little panicked, I walked out into the hallway. They were all three there. My worries eased when I saw them; Freddie only had a broken arm and Carly and Gibby were fine. They looked preoccupied and afraid. I decided to speak, realizing that they hadn't probably seen me, "Hey, guys."

There was no movement or sound. I tried again, but failed to get a response. Before I could try for a third time, Freddie spoke, "This is all my fault."

"Freddie, no it's not," He looked down, studying the patterned floor, "it could've happened to anyone."

"I was driving, Carly!" Freddie exclaimed, "Sam's dying!" What was he talking about?

"Freddie, I'm fine," I said, sitting next to him, "I'm here." Once again, no one acknowledged me, leaving me to ponder what was happening.

"It's my fault she's in here," He was on the verge of crying; his eyes filled with tears, "It's my fault she might never wake up."

"Freddie! I'm not dead! Listen to me!" I grabbed his shoulders, but something strange happened, causing me to step backwards.

My hands went through is shoulders.

"I should've been the one in the passenger seat," Carly came over and hugged him, and told him that it wasn't his fault and that everything would be alright.

A doctor came, causing everyone to stand up in alert, "Mr. Benson was very lucky. Even though he jumped over Miss Puckett, he received minimal injuries," I swallowed, knowing the reason for him being less injured, "Samantha, however, is in a coma."

That was it, I demanded to know why everyone was ignoring me, and why they were saying I was dying, "Someone listen to me! Hear me! I'm here! I'm alive!"

The doctor walked away, and Spencer came down the hallway and hugged Carly. She caught him up on what happened.

"Oh, and, I almost forgot," Spencer reached into his brown coat pocket, "The police came by, and told me they recovered this from the car." Mrs. Benson was out of town, which I was rather thankful for, if you know what I mean. It was a small, silver box that I'd never seen before and Benson looked as if he'd never glanced upon it either. He opened it and there was a necklace. I watched as he gazed upon the pendant. It was engraved.

"GETTING TO THE END IS LIKE REACHING A NEW BEGINNING"

"My dad gave me this," He explained, "He told me to give it to the most important person to me; the one I fall in love with," He clutched it in his hands, holding on to it, "and when I do find her, I'll finally be able to reach the happiness of the end and the excitement of a whole new beginning." Carly smiled, touched by his dad's words. Gibby looked down, seeing that the memory of Freddie's dad truly haunted him.

Freddie's dad died in a plane crash eight years before. When we were together, he'd talk about him all the time. I knew how much that necklace meant to him and that it was the last piece of his dad that existed.

"I can't give it to anyone," He said, shocking the others, "not now." Spencer looked at him, trying to understand.

"Is there someone you want to give it to?" I wait for an answer. His face looked more sullen than ever.

"Yeah," He was clutching the necklace so hard by then, his knuckles began to turn white, "on the night we broke up, I had this in my pocket because I loved her more than I have ever loved anyone. The reason I still do is because I never stopped. Then, we were in and out of love and I don't know. I guess I just hope that I'll be able to give it to her before it's too late."

He smiled a bit, and a tear fell onto the necklace, "I just want to say it to her, to let her know how I feel before...she's gone forever. Because of this, I don't know if I'll have the chance now."

I started to let tears loose, now in understanding. I was still confused about why they kept saying I was dying, but all I know is that he's in love...and who he's in love with.

"I love you too." I said, still not getting a response.

"You still love her," Carly said in realization, "...Sam." He nodded and now I was crying.

Before anyone could respond, a nurse said they could come a see me now.

"They can see me! I'm right here!" I was determined to know why this was happening. I followed as they went into the room I just came out of.

I walked around them and my eyes blinked, not believing what they were seeing.

My body was still on the hospital bed.

**A/N: Please review! I would really appreciate it!**


	2. Empty

**A/N: So, thanks for the amazing feedback for Chapter One! I really appreciate it! **

***Dedication: ****To the strongest of loves, the ones who stretch from the beginning to the end. 3**

**Disclaimer: All rights go to Dan, Nickelodeon, and anyone else associated with iCarly.**

**Chapter 2: Empty**

I stood there looking at myself. This was impossible, it had to be, or at least that's what I thought. This stuff only existed in movies.

My eyes wondered over to the side of the hospital bed, where Carly and Freddie were only moments before. They were no longer by me. I must have gotten so distracted, that I hadn't noticed that they'd left.

The room seemed quiet, as did the entire hospital. Then again, it was late; a lot of people aren't usually energetic in the middle of the night. I thought I could use this time to figure out what all this meant.

I looked over to my body. The bruises had surfaced around my head mostly. Scrapes and a cast covered my leg.

It didn't seem plausible. We went to dinner, we had a good time, and on our way back, a truck hits us, causing me to get put into a hospital with the chance of me losing my mind? It sounds pretty twisted when you put it that way, but it was. Now, I was stuck in this out-of-body fiasco. I guess this is the part in the movie when the character finds out she's dying. Heartbreak and a death sentence in one day? What did I do to earn that?

To take my mind of the unfathomable nightmare, I thought back to Freddie. He still felt it, that love. I did too, but with the way we ended, there was no indication that he'd still feel the same way he did that night.

His dad had brought out the best out of him. Freddie always smiled when he was around. I had only known him for two weeks before he passed. No one ever thought about how much it would affect Freddie.

The necklace was Freddie's last quest from him. His dad wanted him to find love; to cherish the feelings of true love. And, with that love, share the roller coaster of a relationship. He wanted Freddie to give it to someone he wanted to hold on to, someone to rely on, and to possess a love stronger than a hurricane or a tsunami; a tornado or an earthquake.

To think that this person was me, after all we had been through, I wished I could've told him that I felt the same.

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't tell him how I felt, or embrace him, or punch anything. I was now in two, both figuratively and literally. Not only was I having an impossible reality, but my heart had just split in half courtesy of Fredward.

A wave of anger and sadness rushed over me, causing me to shiver. At this point, I was yelling and screaming for anyone, anyone who could listen to me, see me. Of course, I was unsuccessful.

I ran down the stairs and out of the hospital. It hurt to see what had happened to me, but that wasn't the worse part of my pain. The Bushwell Plaza was closer than I thought. There had to be someone who could see me, I was just hoping there would be a difference from the earlier. Something made me look at apartment 8D. The door was open. I walked in, seeing Benson on the couch.

His face was stained with tears and he'd been staring at a picture of Carly, him, and me. My eyes started to tear up, but I stopped them. I sat next to him and watched him. I knew he couldn't see me, but I needed someone, whether they could see me or not.

* * *

"I'm sorry," He spoke, holding back further tears, "I shouldn't have been driving. If it was me instead, you'd be fine."

"But you wouldn't be," I retorted, knowing that he still couldn't hear me.

"I'm sorry I let you walk out of the elevator at midnight that night," My tears were on the edge of escaping my eyes, "that I didn't walk you home. I wanted to, just to have a few more minutes with you, but I couldn't get myself to do it."

He wiped the tears from his face and set the picture on the coffee table. He leaned back on the couch. I put my hand on his shoulder, to comfort him...and me really. He turned to his shoulder and made a peculiar face. Then, I realized what had happened.

"You felt that?" I quickly left, determined to figure out how this was possible. When I made it back to the hospital, I sat in my room, thinking. The room was silent.

It still didn't change the fact that I was dying. He could feel me, but he still didn't know I was there. He blamed himself, which made me hurt more.

"She's not responding to it, Doctor Ryan," A woman's voice cut through the silence. I went out to the hallway where I saw two doctors, one woman and one man, "We've tried pretty much everything."

"We're not giving up on Ms. Puckett yet," He responded, "keep trying." She nodded and went into my room. She was messing with some of the tubes that were attached to me.

"Hold on, Sam," She said, "you've got people waiting for you." She paused and finished messing with the tubes.

"You know I had a son, and he was about your age too," She began, I sat down. The woman didn't even know me, it was midnight and she was trying to do everything to help me survive. Not to mention, she was trying to have a conversation with me. It's almost like she knew I could hear her, "He was diagnosed with brain cancer. Man, was he a fighter. He'd always smile and make everyone else do the same. He was determined to cheat cancer at its own game, but you can't win every battle. He died a year ago." I could see it was a hard topic for her to talk about. That made me appreciate her even more.

"My name's Harmony," I smiled at the name, it was pretty, "I'm going to make sure you wake up." She walked out and I finally felt like I wasn't alone.

I just wished she knew, like I wished everyone knew.

No one knew I could hear them, or that I was even still there. It was like I was already dead, like my body was empty, just a hallow shell of what used to be. It kind of was. So, I decided to take Harmony's advice.

You can't really escape death, but I was going to try.

**A/N: Thanks so much for the feedback last chapter! PLEASE REVIEW! :D**


	3. Reason

**A/N: This is my favorite chapter I've written for this story so far, and I have a feeling you all will feel the same way. **

**Disclaimer: iCarly and its characters belong to Dan. **I own the characters Harmony and Melody. **

**Chapter 3: Reason**

One week. It had been one week since my life had been thrown off course, one week since I began to be nearly nonexistent, one week since I had seen Carly or Freddie, and one week since I found out Freddie still loved me.

It seemed impossible that this all happened in such a short amount of time, but it did. I can't tell you how many times I wished it hadn't happened at all. Sitting in that room, surrounded by the people you love, but they don't see you and they can't hear you...that's the hardest part.

So, since I had been alone in my hospital room for an entire week-with the exception of Harmony checking on me and telling me stories about her son, David-I had been contemplating that night I went over to Freddie's apartment. He _felt_ my hand on his shoulder...but why?

It's not like it was a bad thing, I just didn't know what it meant, or why it had happened. My mind raced just thinking about it. Nothing was making sense anymore.

I sat on a chair in the hospital room when I heard it. A tiny knock; so delicate as if the person knocking was afraid the door was made of a thin sheet of paper. My legs hesitated to move, knowing it was probably Harmony, but I wanted so very badly for it to Carly of Freddie.

Unfortunately, I found none of them; I found someone else. She was a brunette, had brown eyes and looked like she was in her mid thirties. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something about her seemed oddly familiar.

"Do-do I know you?" I had forgotten for a split second that I was invisible; no one could hear me. Remembering that, I turned around and headed back to my chair. Before I returned to it, she responded, "No."

My body became paralyzed. She _heard_ me. I turned around and began to speak; this was not going without an explanation, "Two questions: who are you and how did you just hear me?"

"I'm Melody and I'm dead," The way it came out sounded like she was confessing something.

"That doesn't make sense," I shot back, determined to understand, "I'm _not_ dead, so why can you talk to me?"

"Sit down and I'll tell you," So, I did just that, seeing no other option. She sat in another chair on the other side of the bed, "I died during a C section eighteen years ago. A doctor screwed up, and accidentally cut something he wasn't supposed to. I was supposed to be at rest, but for the last eighteen years, I've wondered around wondering why I am..."

"A ghost?" I finished, wondering if that was what she was saying. She nodded and continued, "Yeah, and I've learned a lot. I've talked to others, and the reason I'm like this, is because I have unfinished business."

My hand went to my forehead, "Why does this have to be a Lifetime movie?"

"It's true," Melody assured to me, "so, I've been trying to find out what my unfinished business is. I've hung around this hospital, waiting for it to come to me. Eighteen years passed. Then, I saw you in here, sitting next to your body, and here I am. You're in the same state as me, even though _you're_ still alive."

"For now," I muttered under my breath, "So, can I ask you something?" If she'd been dead for so long, and had been in this in between state like me, she had to know the answer.

She nodded, "I touched a friend of mine on the shoulder, and he felt it...how?"

"The people closest to you will be able to detect some of your senses. Usually, it's the two senses that fit the best with the relationship you have with that person."

Well, that makes sense.

Freddie felt me because of our relationship, which by the way did not make me feel any better. In fact, I felt a whole lot worse knowing that.

"I'm Sam, by the way."

She got up and started to walk out. Melody turned to me, and said, "Sam, I'll see ya around."

My heart broke as she left. Freddie felt me because of our relationship. Somehow, I couldn't wrap my head around it.

At the same time, I understood why he did, so that made me gain a little sliver of happiness. The people closest to me would only be able to detect two of my senses, however, I felt content because I had finally had someone who could detect all of them.

* * *

I went back to Freddie's apartment. When I saw him, I wanted to breakdown. He was on the fire escape, crying silently. My hand reached for his hand and when they touched, he picked up his hand and looked at it.

He felt that, too.

"Freddie, I wish you could hear me," Suddenly he got up and looked terrified.

"Who's there?" He went in the house and I followed him. He got a pan out of the kitchen cabinet, "who was that?"

My heart stopped. He heard me.

"Wait, you can hear me?" He really started to freak out, in a paranoid-but-not-really-paranoid sort of way.

"Come out now, and no one gets hurt," I shook my head at his ridiculousness. Even if I was alive, he wouldn't do anything.

"Yes because the pan you're holding is going to do so much to a ghost," He dropped the pan in shock. I decided to explain.

"Freddie, it's Sam, I'm a ghost."

"That's not funny, who is it?" Freddie looked broken, like it made him fall apart just to hear my name.

I walked up and touched his face with both my hands, "It is me. It's Sam," It was that awkward moment when I turned into Patrick Swayze, "I'm here. I can explain, but you need to calm down, Benson."

"It's really you, isn't it?" Freddie finally concluded, looking almost right at me.

"Yeah, it's me."

He slowly sat down on the couch, "Where are you?"

I chose my words carefully, hoping not to startle him, "I'm sitting next to you."

"You're not...dead, are you?" He asked, confused, but oddly happy it was me he'd heard.

"No, I have 'unfinished business' supposedly," He waited for more of an explanation, "I think I have something I need to do before fate decides to kill me or keep me. You hear me and feel me because you are close to me and those two senses apply best to our relationship."

He looked towards me, not seeing me, but knowing I was there, "I'm so sorry, Sam."

"It was not your fault, it was an accident," I explained, "you tried to save me, that's the best thing you could've done."

"But Sam, I was driving, and now you're like this. This is my-"

"Benson," He nodded, "First, shut up. Second, let me say something."

"Sam, I can't do this, this is too much. It's my fault, you need to be angry. I just can't, Sam," He walked away from me as I stood up, but I didn't want him too. So, I blurted out something I swore to myself I wouldn't again say before I woke up.

"I love you, too."

**A/N: I told you what I think, so let me know what you think by reviewing below. I hope you like this as much as I do :).**


	4. Either Way I Turn

**A/N: Happy fourth of July! So, I figured I'd post today because I haven't in a while and well, it **_**is**_** a holiday. This chapter is one of my favorites that I have written ever for any story. Why? Well, I guess you'll have to read and find out ;)**

**Disclaimer: All rights for iCarly go to Dan Schneider and Nickelodeon. **

**Chapter 4: Either Way I Turn **

There is a moment in every person's life that they feel every second is a minute, every minute is an hour, every hour is a day, every day is a week, every week is a month, and every month is a year. The time feels slower, and the heartbeat grows quicker.

_"I love you, too."_

This was_ that_ moment. I was so terrified of what I had said. Not only was it bad timing, but it was so complicated; our relationship had always been that way.

The silence that filled the room was deafening.

Benson had stopped walking away, but would not turn around to face me. I knew the consequences of telling him the truth, which is exactly why I didn't want to say it, but it just...came out, and it was too late to take it back.

Finally, he turned toward the direction of my voice and said, "What?"

I felt my cheeks getting hotter as I started to regret saying anything, but I knew I couldn't run away, "When you were in the hallway at the hospital, sitting with Carly and Spence, I was there. That's when this whole out-of-body thing began."

"So...you heard about..." Benson often tried to avoid talking about his dad because it hurt too much. Every time the subject of his dad came up, the pain haunted him; you could see it all over his face.

"Yeah, every word," He looked as if he were trying to put together a thousand piece puzzle, "Listen, I know that this is a difficult and strange situation. Either way I turn, there's something new that I have to figure out; I have to connect all of things together to figure out how to wake up and be me again. It's crazy, I know, and I promised myself I wouldn't tell you the truth about how I felt until I woke up because of how crazy this is," I let out a heavy sigh, "I guess I'm not so good at keeping promises."

I walked up to him, his back still to me and continued, "I mean it though; I love you."

He looked in the direction of my voice. We were only a foot away from each other. I grabbed his shoulders and kissed his cheek.

Benson looked toward the ground; his face full of sadness.

"What?" I asked him.

"It's so hard to see you like this," He held it together, but I could tell it was difficult for him, "or _not _see you as the case may be."

My hand grabbed his, "Did you feel that?" He nodded and I added, "This...what we have can beat anything."

"You know if I could see you," Benson said, his tone lowering, "I would kiss you."

My eyes looked at his as I said, "Yeah, you're right, _you_ can't kiss _me_."

This was probably the worst idea I'd ever had, but I didn't care. It was the worst and best timing.

My hands rested on his face as the heels of my feet slowly came off the ground. I didn't know what would happen, but I figured that, I was about to find out.

My lips finally met his and to my surprise, he kissed back.

At that moment, I knew this was part of my 'unfinished business'.

* * *

For the next hour, I had sat and explained to Freddie what had happened. I told him about every experience I had. The thing that shocked him the most was the fact that I could communicate with someone who was dead.

"And she told you about the 'senses' thing?" My head nodded. He had tried to make sense of it all, which I couldn't blame him for. I mean_ I_ was still trying to make sense of it all, "Are you sure she knows what she's talking about?"

That question had rattled in my head at first too, but after talking to Melody, I knew that she was telling the truth.

"Benson, she's been dead and stuck here for eighteen years," I reminded him, "I think she knows what she's talking about."

"Did she tell you how she...?" I nodded, knowing what the last word was going to be.

"She died in a C section," Pain had clouded her face when she told me that. I really felt bad that she never got to meet her child, "but you know what's so weird? She looked familiar, like I had seen her somewhere before."

"But that's impossible," He said, slightly talking with his hands, "She died around the time you were born."

"I know, which is why it's weird," Maybe she just looked like someone I knew. Maybe I was just losing my mind, maybe she's-

My eye caught a picture that sat on a side table in the living room, "What is this?"

"What?" I had forgotten momentarily that he couldn't see me.

"On this side table...this picture." My eyes were glued to the two women in the picture; one of which had caught my attention.

"That's Carly's mom and my mom," He got up and took a few steps toward the picture, "They were really good friends. My mom moved here with my dad and they had me. Carly's mom-"

"Moved here with her husband and they had Carly and Spencer," He nodded as I finished for him. Everything had become an equation and had started to add up.

"Yeah, and they became friends, until..." Freward gulped. There was no need for him to finish, I knew what he would've said.

"...Carly's mom died," My eyes grew wide, as I turned to look at Benson, "in childbirth."

Benson looked confused, "Yeah she died in a..." He grew as wide-eyed as mine, "You don't think?"

"That's exactly what I think," I kissed Freddie's cheek and said, "I'm going to need to borrow this picture. I have to go. I'll come by tomorrow and I'll bring it back."

"Be careful, Sam," He said, a worried expression slightly present on his face.

"I will," Seeing his expression made me hug him. After he realized what I was doing, he hugged back, "Besides, I'm a ghost; whatever comes will go right through me."

He smiled as I walked out the door. It was then that he hoped it hadn't all been a dream.

* * *

The hospital creeped me out at night. A lot of the lights were off, but one was always on by my room and it flickered. It was so quiet that you could've heard my breathing. I stepped into my room to see my body untouched, but just the person I was looking for just happened to be sitting beside it.

"Melody," As I said her name, a chill came over me and my shoulders tensed. It all made sense now: the brown hair and the eyes...

"Oh, hey, Sam," Another thing that made sense, her smile; it looked so much like...

"I need to ask you a question," I snapped myself out of all of my thoughts, feeling too creeped out.

"Shoot," Too many puzzle pieces were fitting together, and I knew it was now or never.

"What's your name?" She looked confused.

"I already told y-" I realized I had to be specific.

"Your_ full_ name," At that moment, my breathing stopped. This couldn't be happening. Is this possible?

She looked at me, still confused, but she said,

"Melody Shay."

**A/N: And all the pieces fall into place! Please review; it shortens the time between updates ;) **


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